OBJECTIVE: To determine beliefs and knowledge about breastfeeding in women in the conceptional and postconceptional period of the Hospital “Vicente Corral Moscoso” Cuenca 2017.
METHODOLOGY: A quantitative study was carried out at the "Vicente Corral Moscoso" Hospital in Cuenca city. The sample (n = 384) was made taking from yearbook of Hospital Production of the Vicente Corral Moscoso hospital-2016, with the exclusive breastfeeding percentage of 2.7 months of ENSANUT (39.6%). The data were collected in forms on demographic data, a questionnaire by Ferro M. and Flores; and modified by Fiorela Zapata Carnero, to determine the knowledge in breastfeeding, and a third of 17 questions of the UNICEF to identify breastfeeding beliefs, for this analysis were used frequencies and percentages.
RESULTS: The prevailing age in this group was between 20 and 35 years old (79.9%), the marital status in 60.4%, is common law marriage; the basic education level of 45.8%, the source of information revealed that 96% of mothers prefer to listening advice on breastfeeding by medical staff. The level of knowledge about breastfeeding in 23.4% was good, 69.2% was regular and 7.2% was poor.
CONCLUSION: The quality of the information provided to the mother in both cases, the conceptional and post-conceptional period, significantly influences in all activities that she will realize with her baby. Their doctor and all medical staff have the responsibility to give them correct information about breastfeeding to help avoid inappropriate practices.